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Roadcrafter--Does the Neck Seal Tight Enough?

Just got my first Roadcrafter today. Like it a lot but one concern is whether the neck seals tight enough to keep out rain. Anyone have experience pro or con?
 
Roadcrafter

Just got my first Roadcrafter today. Like it a lot but one concern is whether the neck seals tight enough to keep out rain. Anyone have experience pro or con?

I've been wearing a Roadcrafter for twelve years and can't recall getting rain down my neck. Between the helmet and the fairing, not much rain hits me in that area as long as I'm doing 45-50 miles per hour.
 
Wear my 2-piece Roadcrafter all the time. I had the same concern, but have never noticed a problem with water down the back. But in the two years I have had the suit, I have only had it on in heavy rain a few times. It served me well, though.
 
had mine for 11 years. neck is very loose fitting and the crotch leaks! other than that, it is ok and i ride with it a lot.
 
Spouse wears his completely closed (Velcro'd) and no leaks. I can't deal with having something tight around my neck AND a helmet strap so I keep mine open. No leaks.
 
Just got my first Roadcrafter today. Like it a lot but one concern is whether the neck seals tight enough to keep out rain. Anyone have experience pro or con?

Did you get a 1-piece or 2-piece? I just got my 1-piece yesterday and the neck feels like it seals very tightly.
 
11 years with my Darien and no trouble with neck leaks...and I've got a rather skinny neck. The pants however, leak in the crotch, as stated earlier. Eh, no big deal as far as I'm concerned. I just ride faster to dry off!
 
One piece. And I have a large neck. What's the loop on the collar for?

The loop holds the velcro flap when you don't want the neck sealed up. I wish there was a way to hold the collar open for hot weather but otherwise I'm excited to take it for a spin today.
 
Mine never leaks at the neck (or the crotch for that matter -- good zipper and waterproofing works wonders, and I ride year round in all weather)

However the neck fully done up can be a bit uncomfortable depending on your helmet and undergarments. When I wear my gerbing jacket, roadcrafter, a Schuberth helmet (which has a ratcheted clasp and an 'anti-noise pad' chin shield) it gets really tight around the neck.

I will often roll the neck of the roadcrafter down (it folds in half), and not use the velcro strap. When I do this more air gets in, but even riding in some pretty hard rain, I have not gotten any water in. The only place I get my moisture under by roadcrafter is around the top of my boots, and thats because I am too lazy to get overboots.
 
Mine is very snug/stiff around the shoulders. I'm hoping that it loosens up a bit after wearing it on the bike a few times. I think it will be very tight with my Gerbings jacket on underneath. I doubt I could fully close the neck with the Gerbings zipped all the way up either.
 
Ok so here's a quick update after riding about 80 miles today for the first time in the Roadcrafter. First, the neck issue is not an issue since the Velcro strap allows for a generous amount of adjustment. I'm confident that it will be able to adequately keep out water. Also, like B1 pointed out, it is easy to leave the neck strap open and roll the collar over to allow for some air flow. I take back my request for a means of securing the collar open... it stayed rolled over and open the whole time without a problem.

Some other initial observations:
-It was about 70-75 degrees here today. I was completely comfortable wearing jeans and a T-shirt under the suit. I left all the vents closed so I'm curious to see how it vents as the temps rise.

-Shoulder area is already loosening up a bit, but the knees are stiff. I noticed some discomfort behind my knees after about 20 miles. I think that it is from having to force the stiff knee pads into the bent shape my legs take on the bike. I also haven't ridden in 3 months because of the snow, more snow, ice and flooding that we've had here in the Northeast so it's also possible that some knee discomfort is just my "motorcycle muscles" getting use to riding again.

-It was pretty windy here today (25-30 mph gusts) and this thing is seriously windproof. No drafts anywhere except up the sleeves a little bit with my summer gloves on.

-I wasn't sure how I would like the 1-piece suit, but it is very easy to get on and off and certainly feels like it could take a serious beating. I also like that it forces me to wear protective pants instead of regular cotton jeans.

Overall I really think this is a great product and am quickly realizing why so many serious riders swear by Aerostich gear. Just my $.02
 
It all depends on how heavy the rain is. I have a BMW Atlantis 2 piece suit and when it rains seriously enough, I put on my BMW Pro Rain. I had a monsoon in France some time ago, which lasted the entire day. Rain is bound to creep in between your helmet and your suit, period.
Since I always wear a balaclava, I also have one for colder/wet weather, which has a lower part of windstopper/waterproof material. This seals off the area between your helmet and you suit, so that way you won't get wet even in a carwash.
 
Craig, I had the problem of tight around the knees with my Roadcrafter, too. I stood in front of the woodburning stove and let them get really warm. I then shaped them to fit my knees. It worked so well, I did the same thing with the shoulder and elbow pads.

Tom
 
Ok so here's a quick update after riding about 80 miles today for the first time in the Roadcrafter. First, the neck issue is not an issue since the Velcro strap allows for a generous amount of adjustment. I'm confident that it will be able to adequately keep out water. Also, like B1 pointed out, it is easy to leave the neck strap open and roll the collar over to allow for some air flow. I take back my request for a means of securing the collar open... it stayed rolled over and open the whole time without a problem.

Some other initial observations:
-It was about 70-75 degrees here today. I was completely comfortable wearing jeans and a T-shirt under the suit. I left all the vents closed so I'm curious to see how it vents as the temps rise.

-Shoulder area is already loosening up a bit, but the knees are stiff. I noticed some discomfort behind my knees after about 20 miles. I think that it is from having to force the stiff knee pads into the bent shape my legs take on the bike. I also haven't ridden in 3 months because of the snow, more snow, ice and flooding that we've had here in the Northeast so it's also possible that some knee discomfort is just my "motorcycle muscles" getting use to riding again.

-It was pretty windy here today (25-30 mph gusts) and this thing is seriously windproof. No drafts anywhere except up the sleeves a little bit with my summer gloves on.

-I wasn't sure how I would like the 1-piece suit, but it is very easy to get on and off and certainly feels like it could take a serious beating. I also like that it forces me to wear protective pants instead of regular cotton jeans.

Overall I really think this is a great product and am quickly realizing why so many serious riders swear by Aerostich gear. Just my $.02

I got in my second ride on my new one. Our temperatures were upper 70s touching 80 so I opened the arm and back vents. Perfectly comfortable.

The stiffness hasn't bothered me.
 
Craig,

One question. You said that it forces you to wear protective pants instead of cotton jeans. Do you mean under the suit? Or, meaning that you put the whole thing on instead of grabbing a jacket with your jeans? I'm slow this morning...:blush
 
Craig,

One question. You said that it forces you to wear protective pants instead of cotton jeans. Do you mean under the suit? Or, meaning that you put the whole thing on instead of grabbing a jacket with your jeans? I'm slow this morning...:blush

That's ok, I meant full ATGATT instead of MOTGATT (Most Of The Gear). I always wear a full face helmet, protective armored riding jacket, gloves and heavy boots, but wear jeans more than my riding pants. I certainly understand that nothing is ever 100% guaranteed to fully protect in the event of an accident, but why take the chance, right? Even in the event of a 0 mph tip over, having some extra protection from the weight of a 600+ pound bike and the heat of hot exhaust piping is worth it IMHO.
 
Craig,

One question. You said that it forces you to wear protective pants instead of cotton jeans. Do you mean under the suit? Or, meaning that you put the whole thing on instead of grabbing a jacket with your jeans? I'm slow this morning...:blush


Yeah think he means with a one piece you are always wearing protective pants - one of my main reasons for getting the one piece too.

The roadcrafter takes a bit of time to break in... at least a few hundred miles or so. Depending on the temps, and what armor pads you have, they may be stiff. In the winter, I bring my suit inside instead of leaving it on the peg in my garage, because when the suit is very cold its hard to put on (and I have worn mine for about 15000 miles now). I ride in mine and find it more comfortable that other options in temps all the way up to about 90 degrees worn over clothes. Fully vented and with the front zipper open a bit it stays quite nice (and mines a black one). Above 90 its a judgment call, i think that wearing it with a t-shirt and boxers is more comfortable than wearing just jeans, and I think that you actually dehydrate less in the roadcrafter than wearing a mesh jacket. I will ride with it this way and bring clothes in my pannier. I only wear my mesh jacket and jeans when I have a very short ride, and its very hot out... otherwise I am near year-round with my roadcrafter.
 
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